At 01:51 PM 8/13/02, you wrote:
>Matt Muelver wrote:
> > I believe that a properly bolted box can be just as strong as a welded
> > one, maybe even stronger as long as you use the correct materials and
> > mounting points.
>
>That's certainly true.
But it isn't true.
The material in the bolt holes is missing. All that is left is the
material between the bolt holes. It is a balance between how much material
you take away with bolt holes and how widely you space the bolts. If you
space the bolts too widely, they "pull out" a wedge of metal when they
fail. If you space the bolts too closely, the webs between the bolts fail.
You can never get the full strength of a welded seam using bolts.
If you properly weld in the box, you have 100% (or very nearly) of
the strength of the unbroken sheet.
> Just be sure to use lots of smaller bolts; not a
>few large ones. Or, attach your bolts where the unibody already has
>reinforcement plates and gussets to handle concentrated loads, like they
>do around suspension and motor attachment points.
If you weld these reinforcements in place on both the box and the
body sheet metal, this will work. However, you might as well just weld in
the box. If you don't weld these in place, they don't help at all.
_ /| Bill "Wisenheimer" Dube'
\'o.O' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Check out the bike -> http://www.KillaCycle.com
